Draft device



May 1945- E. .L MUDGETT 2,375,318

' DRAFT DEVICE v I Fild April 16, 1943 I ill liiiiiii:

3m, imiu Patented May 8, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE -'2,375,818 p u i I naerr navrca .Easton L. Mudgett, Coupeville, Wash. Application April 16, 1943, Serial No. 483,310

- supporting the combustion of the burning fuel.

1 Claim.

This invention relates to a draft device for fireplaces, and has for the primary object the provision of a device of this character which will provide better combustion for the burning fuel in the fireplace and will reduce to a minimum the amount of air and heat taken from the room by the fireplace and includes means for regulating the amount of draft for the burning fuel.

With these and other objects in view as will become more apparent as the description proceeds, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of partsas will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention, reference is to be had-to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view illustrating a draft device arranged within a fireplace and constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view showing the device arranged .in a fireplace.

Figure 3 is a bottom plan view of the draft device.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 indicates as an entirety a fireplace of the conventional construction, including the usual fuel chamber 6 and fiue 1. A fireplace of this kind is provided with a downwardly extending ash discharge passage 8, usually leading to the basement of the building in which the fireplace is located. It is a well known fact that when fuel is burned in a fireplace, air is drawn in from the room in close proximity to the hearth naturally taking from the room a large amount of heat and to overcome this objection, a draft device 9 constructed in accordance with my invention is arranged in the fuel chamber 6 covering substantially the entire hearth within said fuel chamber and over-the passage 8 which will be employed for furnishing air to the fireplace instead of as a means of removing ashes from the fireplace.

The draft device includes a top wall l provided with depending side and rear walls H and I2 which rest on the hearth and support the top wall in spaced relation thereto. The top wall Ill forms a support for the burning fuel, as clearly shown in Figure l, and also provides a draft space extending from the front of the fireplace to the passage 8.

The draft space at'one end terminates at the front of the fireplace so that the air discharged therefrom will be directed outwardly and upwardly into the room, some of the air entering the chamber 6 of the fireplace for the purpose of The air discharged from the draft passage acts as a check against air being taken in directly from the room into the chamber 6 of the fireplace. vAir passing through the draft passage becomes heated by its contact with the top wall of the draft device which assists this air rising as itv enters the room in front of the fireplace and which tends to block off the air of the room sweeping over the hearth in front of the fireplace and into the chamber 6 of said fireplace.

' It is preferable that the top wall in be corrugated to provide increased surface for the air to contact when traveling through the draft space and thereby become more thoroughly heated. The corrugating of the top wall adds rigidity thereto.

A damper I3 is provided for the passage 8 for opening and closing the same and thereby regulate the'rflow of air from the passage 8 into the draft passage under the draft device. The damper 83 includes an operating rod I 4 slidably mounted in brackets I5 carried by 'the top wall and depending therefrom. The free end of the damper rod is a'ngularly disposed'to form a handle,

is arranged at the front of the fireplace and in close proximity to the hearth, whereby it may be easily manipulated for regulating the flow of air into the draft passage of the draft device from the passage 8.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that a very economical and practical draft device has been provided for a fireplace which will assist in the combustion of the burning fuel and check the fiow of air from the room into the fireplace,

consequently providing more efiiciency in heating.

of the room by the fireplace.

While I have shown and described the pre ferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:-

In combination with a fireplace including a combustion chamber fully open at the front thereof and a hearth therefor provided with a draft opening and a chimney flue connecting-with the combustion chamber, a rigid corrugated plate arranged horizontally in the combustion chamher to be heated by burning fuel and covering approximately the entire area of the hearth within the combustion chamber and providing a heat passage-between itself and the hearth to receive the draft received from the chimney flue, depending walls on the sides and rear oi the plate and resting on the hearth for supporting the plate 1 a limited distance from said hearth and providing an air passage under the plate, said rear wall closing the back ot'the passage. a slide damper for controlling the draft opening and including.

an operating rod extending from under said plate at the front 0! the vcomimstion chamber, and.

brackets slidably supporting the operating rod and carried by and depending from said plate.

7 EASTON L. MUDGETI'. 

